Airport security lines can annoy passengers...

[kpc]

Airport security lines can annoy passengers, but there is no evidence that they make flying any safer, US researchers reported on Thursday.
A team at the Harvard School of Public Health could not find any studies showing whether the time-consuming process of X-raying carry-on luggage prevents hijackings or attacks.
They also found no evidence to suggest that making passengers take off their shoes and confiscating small items prevented any incidents.

No evidence airport security make planes safer - News - Travel - smh.com.au
Surprise, surprise....

 

[trooper]

Well yes... but one is tempted to say "well DUH!"...

It is hardly surprising that people find personal inconvenience "annoying".. OTOH...haven't there been other studies that showed those surveyed were prepared to put up with some inconvenience in the name of "safety"? I seem to recall reading that somewhere too! (Note italics denoting cynicism... )

As to the other aspect of the article... Just HOW do you find evidence of things that didn't happen? Isn't that the classic bind?

How do you show that something WOULD have happened, if not for "X"????

 

[Josh]

I personally do not find the security measures in Australian airports to be that inconvenient.
However, the LOTFAP is different. I just flew from Denver a few days ago, and got the dreaded 'SSSS' on my BP. 10-15 minutes later, after all my stuff had been searched through, I was able to get to the departure gate.
Taking off shoes in the USA is very annoying - I fail to see the benefit of this.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Reggie]

I personally do not find the security measures in Australian airports to be that inconvenient.

Try flying out of Perth in the morning, with all the steel caps and computers.

 

[SeaWolf]

Try flying out of Perth in the morning, with all the steel caps and computers.

This is a constant pain of mine. I'm constanly getting stuck behind miners who are obviously FIFO and go through security every second week, but who are still startled that their steel caps are setting off the metal detector!

 

[littl_flier]

Airport security lines can annoy passengers, but there is no evidence that they make flying any safer, US researchers reported on Thursday.

Ok, we all hate waiting in long lines when there is Champagne in the lounge...... But how can airport security not make flying safer? It acts as a deterrent (no matter how small that may be) to anyone who might want to sabotage a flight.

 

[Reggie]

This is a constant pain of mine. I'm constanly getting stuck behind miners who are obviously FIFO and go through security every second week, but who are still startled that their steel caps are setting off the metal detector!

SeaWolf, Haven't you noticed he majority of these miners aren't employeed for their level of intellegence?

Likewise, I am still amused at the number of suits who don't know they have to take their computers out of their bags as they pass through security.

 

[SeaWolf]

Ok, we all hate waiting in long lines when there is Champagne in the lounge...... But how can airport security not make flying safer? It acts as a deterrent (no matter how small that may be) to anyone who might want to sabotage a flight.

Well, take the US requirement to remove your shoes for example. This was a reaction to the 'shoe bomber', but the obvious question is can you hide anything in your shoes that you couldn't hide somewhere else? Like in your underwear. If there's nothing much that could be hidden in your shoes that couldn't be hidden in your underwear instead, then it makes no sense to force people to remove their shoes unless you go after their underwear as well. Or everywhere else someone could potentially hide similar stuff.

So, it creates the impression of security without actually offering security.

 

[straitman]

Well, take the US requirement to remove your shoes for example. This was a reaction to the 'shoe bomber', but the obvious question is can you hide anything in your shoes that you couldn't hide somewhere else? Like in your underwear. If there's nothing much that could be hidden in your shoes that couldn't be hidden in your underwear instead, then it makes no sense to force people to remove their shoes unless you go after their underwear as well. Or everywhere else someone could potentially hide similar stuff.

So, it creates the impression of security without actually offering security.

Security is being seen to be done.

 

[drron]

That SSSS is really a pain.Touch wood havent had it for a while.I well remember at JFK when it first came in we were selected and searched 3 times from checkin to gate.Mrsdrron was annoyed to say the least and expressed her disgust after the third search.She was told by the diplomatic TSA agent that their profiling suggested an elderly white grandmother was likely to be the next bomber-talk about fuel to the fire!

 

[browski]

Ok, we all hate waiting in long lines when there is Champagne in the lounge...... But how can airport security not make flying safer? It acts as a deterrent (no matter how small that may be) to anyone who might want to sabotage a flight.

The study at the Harvard School specifically concluded that airport security does not act as a deterrant. What study did you base your naive statement upon?

 

[drron]

The study at the Harvard School specifically concluded that airport security does not act as a deterrant. What study did you base your naive statement upon?

It actually says there is no evidence that it acts as a deterrant,nor is there evidence that it does not act as a deterrant so you are both equally supported by their paper.

 

[JohnK]

It is all about perception. If it looks like security is doing something then it must be safe. Yeah right....

 

[alien]

what i find annoying is the inconsistency of security officers in various states

 

[codash1099]

what i find annoying is the inconsistency of security officers in various states

or at various times.

 

[Maca44]

When you have a hip replacement and get secondary inspections at every airport it can be a pain. However, as I approach the TSA personnel I simply say 'medical implant', afterwhich they pull me aside, go through the wand and pat down and I am usually away in the matter is minutes in any event. You do get used to it.

 

[Danger]

I'm looking forward to the Qantas refurbishments at Perth Airport. The lines there can be incredibly long.

As an extension of the inconvenience of security lines, I get annoyed with the three times your ID is checked in US (domestic airports) before you've got on the plane. It's done at check-in, then as you start to queue, then again as you go through the metal detector. I was flying out of Boston a few weeks ago and found myself on the wrong side of a security guard after I put my boarding pass in my bag on the belt rather than holding onto it. Well, I'm surprised they didn't call in the Army. I had to wait about another two or three minutes until another guard was called to watch me like a hawk as I placed through the detector then retrieve my boarding pass from the other side.